Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

twit

 - 5 dictionary results

twit

1[twit] ,verb, twit⋅ted, twit⋅ting, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. to taunt, tease, ridicule, etc., with reference to anything embarrassing; gibe at.
2. to reproach or upbraid.
–noun
3. an act of twitting.
4. a derisive reproach; taunt; gibe.

Origin:
1520–30; aph. var. of obs. atwite, ME atwiten, OE ætwītan to taunt, equiv. to æt- at 1 + wītan to blame

twit

2[twit] ,
–noun
a weak or thin place in yarn caused by uneven spinning.

Origin:
1810–20; orig. uncert.

twit

3[twit] ,
–noun Informal.
an insignificant or bothersome person.

Origin:
1920–25; perh. orig. n. deriv. of twit 1 , i.e., “one who twits others,” but altered in sense by assoc. with expressive words with tw- ( twaddle, twat, twerp, etc.) and by rhyme with nitwit

twit

4[twit] ,
–noun
an excited state; dither: to be in a twit about company coming.

Origin:
prob. shortened from twitter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To twit
twit   (twĭt)   
tr.v.   twit·ted, twit·ting, twits
To taunt, ridicule, or tease, especially for embarrassing mistakes or faults. See Synonyms at ridicule.
n.  
  1. The act or an instance of twitting.

  2. A reproach, gibe, or taunt.

  3. Slang A foolishly annoying person.


[Short for obsolete atwite, from Middle English atwiten, from Old English ætwītan : æt, at; see at1 + wītan, to reproach; see weid- in Indo-European roots.]
twit'ter n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see twit on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: